About the UK Picture Editors' Guild Awards

These awards are distinctive in that panels of judges consisting only of working picture editors from national and regional newspapers and international photo agencies assess the thousands of entries from professional photographers from throughout the media.

In 2010 the first-ever competition awarded thousands of pounds in prize money to the winners of eight categories with the overall accolade of Photographer of the Year going to the Guardian’s Martin Argles. Each year the Awards have evolved with a separate set of Awards introduced in 2012 specifically for the London Olympics and mre recently the introduction of a video category and a student category.

Headline sponsors enable the Guild to provide this unique opportunity to reward the very best in photo-journalism.

Entries for the Awards are submitted via this dedicated website, with video content uploaded via Vimeo, and then linked to the actual entry.

Alan Sparrow, UK Picture Editors’ Guild chairman, said: “We were thrilled with the many congratulations we received for the success of our annual Awards. This is now the premier celebration of the skill and talent of British press photography – the most dynamic and competitive media workplace in the world.”

Award Categories & Prizes

Eligible photographs taken between Oct 31st ’til midnight on November 30th.

Closing date for still photographic and video entries: midnight December 1st 2019

For all categories you may enter as many times as you like.

From the entries the judges will decide who is the Shutterstock Press Photographer of the Year

*For this competion a National Newspaper is deemed to be one of the following:

Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror, Sunday People, Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph, the Times and the Sunday Times, the Indy (i), the Independent and the Independent on Sunday, the Guardian, the Observer, the Financial Times, the Evening Standard, the Daily Mail the Mail on Sunday, the Daily Express and Sunday Express, the Sun and Sun on Sunday, the Daily Star and Star Sunday, the Morning Star, Metro, the Herald, the Scotsman, the National, the Daily Record, Scotland on Sunday, Sunday Herald, Sunday Mail, the Sunday Post and also included are the Scottish editions of the English press. If you enter the category and do not select one of these are your “company”, even if you are a freelance on commission from one of these, then your entry will be invalid.

**Videojournalist of the Year
This category has slightly different entry mechanics.
The entry can be just moving footage, images shot as time lapse sequences, or a mix of stills and video content. The edited film can be feature led or news oriented, but needs to demonstrate a visual aesthetic based in photography.
To reflect the advancement in technology the Guild’s committee has decided that DSLR and other formats are acceptable. Many photographers are using a variety of equipment to tell their stories and we would not wish, because of restrictions, to miss a good story well executed.
The video must reflect the wider role of a photographer during an assignment. The footage can reflect any subject, but must have been shot between the eligible dates for the still photography submissions.
The length of a video entry should be between 1 – 10 minutes.
You must have permission to use any music, sound or narrative.
Uploading Video Submissions:

Vimeo Privacy settings: Who can watch this video? – Anyone
Where can this video be embedded? – Anywhere
What can people do with this video? – Download the video / Add to their collections
Entry to this category is FREE OF CHARGE
If you do not currently have a vimeo account then

Canon Sports Photographer of the Year

Entry will be five pictures - fewer or more will not be considered a valid entry. - PRIZE £500

Iconic Images Royal Photographer of the Year

Entry will be five pictures - fewer or more will not be considered a valid entry. - PRIZE £500

Fixation News Photographer of the Year

Entry will be five pictures - fewer or more will not be considered a valid entry. - PRIZE £500

Business Photographer of the Year

Entry will be five pictures - fewer or more will not be considered a valid entry. - PRIZE £500

Dave Benett Photos Arts and Entertainment Photographer of the Year

Entry will be five pictures - fewer or more will not be considered a valid entry. - PRIZE £500

Fleet Street's Finest Photo Essay of the Year

... which tells a story and is accompanied by a brief, but clear, narrative to the story - minimum of 10 pictures; maximum 20 pictures. - PRIZE £500

Genesis Imaging Regional Photographer of the Year

Five pictures must be entered and judges will be looking for skill across a range of subjects such as news sport and features.
Pictures must have to have been published by a regional newspaper. - PRIZE £500

Sony National Newspaper Photographer of the Year*

Five pictures must be entered and judges will be looking for skill across a range of subjects such as news sport and features.
Pictures must have to have been published by a national daily or Sunday newspaper
Eligible entrants are staff photographers or freelance contributors commissioned by the paper. - PRIZE £500

Videojournalist of the Year**

The video must reflect the wider role of a photographer during an assignment. The footage can reflect any subject. - PRIZE £500

Getty Images Young Photographers Bursary

Entrant to be 25 years old or under by close of entries at midnight December 2nd 2018
Entry will be five pictures - fewer or more will not be considered a valid entry
Prize: £500 plus a return flight to the value of £250.
The assignment must be completed by last day of September 2019.

Fujifilm Student Photographer of the Year

Entry will be five pictures - fewer or more will not be considered a valid entry. - PRIZE £500

The Awards will be a black-tie affair held at the headquarters for Honourable Artillery Company in City Road London on March 9th, 2019